I would like to wish everyone a happy new year.. till we meet again next year..

have fun

inter draw

conclusions of the day: Juve are the most solid team of serie a, no doubt about it.

Inter are too inconsistent, and Milan's backline is weak right now.

Week 22 Spotlight: Uno, Due, Tre-zeguet
Monday 30 January, 2006

Player of the Week: Trezeguet (Juventus)
If Fabio Capello hadn't have joined Juventus in the summer of 2004 then you wouldn't be reading this. That's because, with all likelihood, David Trezeguet would be wearing a Barcelona shirt right now. His transfer to the Nou Camp was on the verge of finalisation before Don Fabio instantly locked all exits at the Stadio Delle Alpi.

Capello knew that Trezeguet was, and arguably is, the best penalty box striker in world football. He may not be the greatest team player in the game, almost an insignificant figure when things aren't going too well for his other 10 teammates, but the Frenchman often needs just one chance to ripple any net on the planet.

Trezeguet underlined his unique capabilities on Sunday during his club's 3-1 win at Ascoli. After giving his side the lead with an accurate angled drive, it took him just 10 minutes to complete a quite remarkable hat-trick at the Stadio Del Duca. He also used it to silence those who had criticised him in the last week for his recent goal drought.

"After six years in Italy, I know what to expect from the Italian media," stated Trezeguet after his treble. "I had no problem with the criticism, I remained calm, relaxed and continued to work hard. But I am now happy that I have managed to return to the score sheet."

Trezeguet had gone four games without a goal before his Week 22 exploits. That can be legitimately classed as a crisis for a player who has had a scintillating campaign in front of goal for the Old Lady this term.

Having netted 15 before Sunday, Trezeguet was close to breaking Gabriel Batistuta's record of scoring in 11 consecutive Serie A games recently. The former Monaco man grabbed 11 goals in nine ties before he struck the post at Palermo at the beginning of January.

"I was always tranquil about the situation over the last month, but goals have always been important for me," added Trezeguet. "I'm very happy to have re-found the net. I wasn't getting agitated and I just got on with what the Coach asked of me. However, I have to say that scoring is good for my morale. I was training well and was feeling good, but the goal just wouldn't come. That all changed at Ascoli, though, and I'm thrilled."

Trezeguet, like his club, is having a season to remember. After scoring his 100th goal for the outfit earlier this term, he now has 118 to his name which puts him at No 8 in the Bianconeri's all-time list. The fact that he has now scored more goals that the legendary Roberto Baggio underlines just what a significant player David - whose strike rate in Serie A is 0.65 a game - has become in Turin.

Trezeguet isn't satisfied with that achievement though and has at least two more goal objectives to reach before he jets off on World Cup duty with France in the summer. "I want to win the Capocannoniere crown," added the man who is now just three shy of Luca Toni's present 21 goals. "It would also be nice to score 125 for the club, which would allow me to overtake John Hansen and become the most prolific foreigner to play for Juventus." On present form, that is one target that he is unlikely to miss...

Goal of the Week: Trezeguet (Juventus)
David Trezeguet's second may have only been a simple tap-in from six yards, but the build up play to that strike made it the goal of the week. Juventus worked the ball from defence to attack, from one wing to another, with the speed and accuracy of the well-oiled machine which they are. Make sure you see this goal in its entirety.

Number of the Week: 6
Roma's 3-0 win over Livorno was their sixth successive in Serie A and eighth in all competitions. Should they beat Parma in Week 23 then they will equal their club record of seven which was achieved in the 2000-01 and 2003-04 seasons.

Coppa: Palermo power past Milan
Tuesday 31 January, 2006

A revitalised Palermo are through to the semi-finals of the Italian Cup after a convincing 3-0 win over Milan on Tuesday night. The home side collected their first triumph over the San Siro outfit for 26 years in a debut that new boss Giuseppe Papadopulo is unlikely to forget.

Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini was looking for a reaction from his boys following the dismissal of Luigi Del Neri and he certainly got that in the first 45 minutes.

New man Papadopulo shelved Del Neri's trademark 4-4-2 tactics in favour of a more flexible 4-3-2-1, with Mariano Gonzalez and David Di Michele excellently supporting lone-striker Andrea Caracciolo.

Milan responded with a more cautious 4-4-1-1 with Kaka playing just behind Alberto Gilardino, the Rossoneri goal hero from the first leg. Yet it took the Rosanero just 18 minutes to turn the tie around with Gonzalez and Caracciolo netting for the home side.

It could have been so different though had Kaka taken his chance for the away side in the eighth minute. A misplaced Grosso clearance fell kindly to the Brazilian, but his effort was stopped on the line by Andujar. It proved to be a costly error for the Italian giants.

Just two minutes later, Palermo took the lead in some style. Gonzalez let rip from 30 yards out and his curling effort flew over Zeljko Kalac, who was a few metres off his line, and into the top corner.

Worse was to follow when the poorly protected Milan defence was ripped open by a Gonzalez pass. His perfectly weighted assist fell to the feet of Caracciolo who flicked the ball over the diving Kalac to make it 2-0 on the night, 2-1 on aggregate.

Palermo should then have made it three when Di Michele broke the offside trap, but his decision to try to chip the ball over Kalac in a one-on-one situation was disastrous as the ball finished wide of the far post.

That scare seemed to wake Milan up a little even if their response was limited to a Marcos Cafu goal which was rightly disallowed for offside, before the Brazilian then saw his low angled drive saved by the Argentine 'keeper.

Neither Coach made any changes at the break and little changed once the game restarted as Palermo quickly took a firm grip on qualification with a third goal. A lack of communication between Dario Simic and goalkeeper Kalac allowed Gonzalez to sneak in between them to ripple the net for the second time this evening.

Boss Carlo Ancelotti opted to throw on Pippo Inzaghi, Andrea Pirlo and Serginho, but his side seemed to wave the white flag. So much so that both Simone Barone and Di Michele threatened to make a bad night even worse for the away side with dangerous efforts.

Palermo, whose 'keeper Andujar denied Seedorf and Kaka a consolation goal in minute 88, go through to the last four - for only the third time in their history - thanks to a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Palermo 3-0 Milan (3-1 on agg)
Scorers: Gonzalez 10, 49 (P), Caracciolo 18 (P)

Source: Football Italia

4-1

Gilardino
Luca Toni
De Rossi
Del Piero



R. Huth (g)

they look good...really good.



hehehe

European U-21 Championships - Gp B - 26/5/06 (19.45)

Italy 1 - 0 Ukraine
Chiellini 93 (I)
Agueda

A last-gasp goal from Giorgio Chiellini handed Italy a precious victory over Ukraine that puts them in contention for a semi-final spot.

Claudio Gentile made several changes to the side that snatched a last-gasp 3-3 draw against Denmark two days ago, as Torino's Alessandro Rosina and hitman Rolando Bianchi came into the starting 11 following their impressive substitute contributions, pushing Mario Defendi and Giampaolo Pazzini on to the bench.

More..

nanti aku datang

This post has been edited by fariz: Jun 16 2006, 12:48 PM

Italy qualify if...

Italy just need a point against the Czech Republic to reach the last 16 of the World Cup, but there are other options. Here are all of the scenarios...

If Italy win:
An Italian victory against Pavel Nedved and Co will give the Azzurri top spot in Group E and lead to a second round match with the runners-up in Brazil's Group F.

If Italy draw:
A point with the Czechs will also be enough for qualification as Italy would move on to five points, leaving their opponents on just four. However, such a result could see Italy surrender top spot in the group to Ghana if they beat America in their last game. If that tie ends all square, Italy would remain first leaving the Czech Republic and the African nation to decide qualification on goal difference. A USA win would still see Italy top the group.

If Italy lose:
All would not necessarily be lost if the Azzurri taste defeat on Thursday. They could still finish second if the other game ends in a draw or if a victorious America don't go on the goal rampage against the Black Stars.

- channel4.com

I wish we have cannavaros and zambrottas (yes prural!)

Zambrotta---Canna---Canna---Zambrotta

another angle



Looks like the Aussie hit Grosso's leg with his elbow in the box.

1982 WC

Lippi dedicates win to Pessotto
Friday 30 June, 2006

Marcello Lippi noted his support for Luca Toni and Francesco Totti paid off and dedicated the victory over the Ukraine to Gianluca Pessotto.

"Now we can say we're in the top four teams in the world and it's very satisfying, but we cannot let this become an objective in itself," said the Coach after Italy's 3-0 quarter-final win.

The Azzurri will face hosts Germany in the semi-final on July 4 in Dortmund and have conceded only one goal in five matches - an own goal by Cristian Zaccardo.

Former Juventus Coach Lippi clearly had a special dedication in his mind going into this game after Gianluca Pessotto was taken to hospital following an apparent suicide attempt. There were moving scenes at the final whistle, as the players showed flags cheering on 'Pessottino'.

"We have to try with all our strength and heart. Speaking of that, the lads and I dedicate this victory to Gianluca Pessotto. We are close to him and his family and hope he can soon come back to celebrating with us."

The tactician came in for criticism after sticking with Toni and Totti, but they both came good with crucial goals in the knockouts.

"We waited for Totti and for Toni. Thankfully both of them arrived. There is a fantastic team spirit that enables us to work through many problems and changes. I am glad Toni broke through, as he has scored 50 goals in two seasons, so it was impossible to think he'd suddenly lost his talents. The key is to consider this semi-final a starting point, not a finish line."

-channel4.com

Finalissima: Italia in maglia blu, Francia in maglia bianca
07 07 2006
Sono state assegnate le maglie per la finalissima di Berlino. L'Italia, considerata squadra di casa, indosserà la maglia blu, la Francia giocherà nel completo bianco "portafortuna".

----------------------------

Azzurri will play in maglia azzurra and France in white..

Cannavaro - the footballing Neapolitan street urchin


Duisberg: A hearty rendition of O Sole Mio was booming out in Italy's dressing room when the Prime Minister Romano Prodi came to congratulate the team on beating Germany.

"Even he joined in," Fabio Cannavaro revealed on Thursday. "It was great."

For Cannavaro, hearing that Neapolitan ditty being sung joyously was particularly special. A son of Naples, he remembers a World Cup semifinal there that left nobody in the mood to sing.

Cannavaro was a ball boy at his hometown stadium in 1990 when Italy's dream was crushed by Argentina in a penalty shoot-out. Two late goals in Dortmund averted the prospect of similar despair and he was entitled to sing loudly. He had been outstanding and it was hard to argue with Marcello Lippi's description of him as the world's best centre-back.


100th cap


Sunday, fittingly, will bring the captain's 100th cap and it suggests a lack of ego that he had to be told such a twist was possible.

"We were joking about how many caps he needed to overtake this player and that player," Lippi said," and I told him: "Do you know, with this World Cup if you get to the final, seven games will take you to 100?" And now we are there it is a fantastic thing.

"Cannavaro is having a fantastic World Cup. He is without question the strongest defender at this tournament and the absolute No.1 in the world."

Italy wants to leave as No1. Though dressing-room celebrations were raucous on Tuesday, it was a calm squad that digested the success over dinner and small amounts of alcohol. There is determination not to waste this chance.


Rare error


For Cannavaro it would help wipe out such lows as 1990 and defeat in the Euro 2000 final, when a rare error of his helped France score. "We are very happy to be where we are," he said, "but I don't want to stop now."

Cannavaro will not allow complacency. The Juventus defender is more quiet captain than tub-thumping orator but he leads by example and cajoles or guides. During the semifinal, for example, he gestured to Marco Materazzi to play calmly after his fellow central defender had again wasted possession. Aggressive Cannavaro may be but he is always relaxed enough to see the full picture. The 32-year-old is described in the Italian football federation guide as "the footballing Neapolitan street urchin" and there is that rugged quality about his play. It sums up what he brings that a former national coach, Cesare Maldini, called him Canna, meaning cane or reed - something that bends but does not break.

Cannavaro, like the goalkeeper Gigi Buffon, has been unbreakable as Italy has progressed while conceding only once, and that an own-goal. A relative lack of height does not prevent him being strong in the air, his positioning is excellent and his tackling well timed. His displays and organising are all the more impressive for coming, since early in the third group game, without his usual partner Alessandro Nesta, who is injured.

When Cannavaro reflected on this team's accomplishments he alluded to failure in Euro 2004 and the 2002 World Cup. "We stored up a lot of anger," he said, "about how we hadn't performed or qualified for the later stages, and we have taken that anger out on the pitch here."


Unbeaten


Changes of players and coach have also been crucial; Italy is now unbeaten in 24 games. "This isn't the product of the last week or even the last month," Cannavaro said. "This has been a two-year project. From the moment the coach came in, you could sense the enthusiasm increased, the will to win increased."

Lippi confirmed his astuteness by bringing on Alessandro del Piero, Alberto Gilardino and Vincenzo Iaquinta against Germany. It provided chances as the game got stretched, and Gilardino set up del Piero's goal. There was none of the caution that typified and cost Italy under Giovanni Trapattoni in the two previous tournaments and it gave the team a lift.

"There was a signal to us that the game was there to be won," Cannavaro said, "but he had also brought on two players (del Piero and Gilardino) who are very good at penalties." That relaxed a team aware of their country's dismal history in shoot-outs.

del Piero noted that, amid the scandal engulfing Italy's domestic football, "we have shown that we have got some great footballers at Juventus and that we are not criminals." He added: "Everything that has happened off the pitch has brought us closer together." :smoke:

Guardian

CAMPIONI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

not as hard as some of the german player and arnold susahnakeja

Riva: Lippi was abandoned
Tuesday 11 July, 2006

Italy legend Gigi Riva reveals that the Federation "abandoned" Marcello Lippi and the squad before the triumph in Germany.

"We felt very alone out there, apart from the few occasions when someone from the Federation came to give us a pat on the back," explained the team manager of the World Cup winning side.

Italy set out on this adventure in the middle of the Calciopoli scandal with calls for Lippi to be fired and Juventus star Fabio Cannavaro stripped of his captain's armband.

"The players reacted well to the problems and I believe we created the foundations for this success in the Coverciano training camp. The FIGC doesn't exist. Now they are the ones who have to make some decisions, sitting there like ghosts under a white sheet. I thought of the two tormented months in which every day a missile was aimed at our ship. It's difficult to forget all that and Lippi suffered badly."

Now the tactician has taken a few days to consider his future, hinting that he would like to move on after winning the World Cup at his first attempt in international football.

"The Cup is essentially a piece of metal, but it is like medicine that all Italians have taken," continued Mexico 1970 hero Riva. "We hope this'll help everyone find their balance again. I told Lippi he has built a wonderful house and it's only right to enjoy it."

Source: channel4.com

he can join as BOD

DISCLAIMER: This the first smart thing I have heard Berlusconi say. For once, I would agree with you, Mr. Berlusconi

Berlusconi against relegation
Thursday 13 July, 2006

Milan club President Silvio Berlusconi has spoken against the proposal that his club should be relegated to Serie B for its role in the Calciopoli scandal.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Berlusconi insisted that a punishment imposed on the pitch would unjustly punish the players and fans.

"The sanctions should not be aimed at the players who don't deserve to drop into Serie B or C," insisted the former Prime Minister.

"We also shouldn't punish the fans who have done nothing wrong. I'm against relegating anyone, I'm not just talking about us."

Italy's richest man did, however, admit that any individuals found to have committed sporting fraud should face the consequences.

"It's only fair that the guilty pay for their actions," he conceded. "The directors and referees involved should face a proper trial though, not a rushed one."

More: http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jul13f.html